New Concept Art and Plot Info for ‘Cars 3’

Pixar Animation Studios released some new concept art along with new character names and a plot line for its upcoming animated sequel Cars 3.

Spring 2016 Edition of ‘Disney twenty-three’ to Highlight Walt Disney Animation Studios

© Disney

D23, the official Disney fan club, publishes a beautiful quarterly magazine for its gold level members (aka paying members) called Disney twenty-three. The Spring 2016 issue looks to be one that might be of particular interest to our loyal Animation Fascination readers—the magazine is focusing on the current revival of the vaulted Walt Disney Animation Studios and providing some sneak peeks into future projects.

Viewpoint: ‘Toy Story’ Turns 20

© Disney/Pixar

Pixar Animation Studios‘ first full-length animated motion picture Toy Story just celebrated its 20th birthday. The landmark film opened in November 1995, creating a new industry (commercially viable computer-generated animated feature films), a new artistic aesthetic, and an unforgettable and delightful film.

‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ Coming Soon to Digital HD

© Disney

“The fairest one of all” is making its way out of the Disney vault and back on store shelves (both digital and physical) with the upcoming re-release of Disney Animation’s first animated motion picture Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Disney Animation Makes ‘Gigantic’ Announcement

© Disney

At the D23 Expo 2015 last weekend, Walt Disney Animation Studios made it official—their long-rumored feature about giants will be released in 2018 and will be called Gigantic.

Pixar’s New Short ‘Sanjay’s Super Team’ to Screen with ‘The Good Dinosaur’

While much publicity is currently being devoted to Pixar Animation Studios’ upcoming animated feature Inside Out opening on June 19th, don’t forget that we will be getting two films from Pixar this year–The Good Dinosaur is scheduled to open on November 25th, 2015. Playing in front of The Good Dinosaur is the newly announced short Sanjay’s Super Team. The short will make its official debut at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival in Annecy, France.

Save the Date: Disney and Pixar Animation Presentation at D23 Expo Happening August 14th

D23 Expo 2015 is coming to the Anaheim Convention Center on August 14th-17th, 2015. One of the highlights of the every-other-year event is the Walt Disney Studios’ animation presentation which highlights the latest animated features coming from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios.

Top Ten Most Fascinating Animated Characters: Number 5

In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not grow up a ravenous anime connoisseur, as so many of my fellow animation geeks. I enjoyed some shows that were anime without really noticing that they were (like Rainbow Brite and TMNT), but I didn’t watch much Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh!, or Dragon Ball Z (much to my husband’s chagrin.) I did see Spirited Away the year it won the Academy Award and I, to be perfectly honest, did not get it. So much more fantastical and bizarre than what I was used to, I wrote it off as “weird.” Yet, I always knew there was something great I was missing–whether because the whole world was raving about it or from some inherent awesome-story-detector deep inside me, I’m not sure. In any case, it is now one of my favorite animated films, and Chihiro is one of the most interesting, admirable characters ever depicted–on-screen or in print.

‘Toy Story 4’ Officially Announced for June 2017

So there I was, listening to The Walt Disney Company’s Q4 and fiscal year 2014 earnings conference call when amid all of the talk about numbers and “franchises” (which, I believe, is the favorite word among the senior business leaders at Disney), comes a surprise announcement from Disney CEO Bob Iger that Toy Story 4 is on its way from Pixar Animation Studios on June 16th, 2017 and that it will be directed by none other than John Lasseter himself. I immediately sent a text to our fearless editor-in-chief Marc Vibbert and then tried to sort it all out.

A Fascinating Day in Animation History: Pixar’s ‘The Incredibles’ (2004)

Today marks ten years since the release of a film that is not only a phenomenal accomplishment in the realm of animation, but is perhaps the greatest superhero movie of all time. Too much? Not even close! The story Brad Bird developed has profundity effervescing from practically every line of dialogue. The film’s messages against praising mediocrity and of promoting heroism, duty and family resound as relevant and revivifying in our squishy, politically correct world. I could go on for two and a half years about how much I think of this film, but I may lose a few of you in my philosophical musings along the way. You got me monologuing!